In terms of living conditions during service, the residential area of the Second Department in the Space Fortress was quite luxurious, simply incomparable to the hellhole where Fu Luo had worked as an intern in Third Department.

There were robots, single rooms over 15 square meters including a bathroom, and although the bed was still a hard board, it was surprisingly covered with two layers of sheets. For someone of Fu Luo's rank, this kind of dormitory could absolutely be called a space "mansion".

In any case, it was much better than the military academy dorm she had stayed in the previous night.

But Fu Luo was apprehensive and not very confident in her abilities, so she was in no mood to appreciate her new residence.

After changing into her uniform at the first opportunity, she immediately spent five minutes carefully studying the map of the Space Fortress posted behind the door, making sure to memorize the planar map of the entire Second Department area, before starting to inspect the various supplies that had just been allocated.

Among the three departments of the Space Forces, the status of the Second Department was always indisputable, so although the treatment on the surface was not particularly special, there were many "private kitchens" under the table, which was an unspoken rule that everyone knew. There were even rumors in school that the Second Department supply bags contained two boxes of high-calcium milk tablets.

Fu Luo didn't look to see if the legendary milk tablets were original or strawberry flavored. She didn't touch most of the things, only picking out the identity access card, military multi-tool pliers, the laser knife that could be clipped to the sleeve, and the pistol, and put them on her person one by one.

After thinking about it, she also picked up a box of oxygen capsules - in extreme environments, if a person is directly exposed to the space environment, one oxygen capsule can provide twenty minutes of oxygen protection film, meeting the body's breathing needs while isolating a certain level of cosmic radiation.

As soon as she put the oxygen capsules in her pocket, the communication sensor in Fu Luo's ear rang.

If she hadn't seen the communication sensor that directly acted on the optic nerve at Wang Yansheng's place, Fu Luo would probably have been startled by this communication device implanted in her ear.

The voice sounded out of nowhere, so clear and real it seemed to be right next to her ear. Even though Fu Luo's nerves were tense, she couldn't help but stiffen for a moment.

"All personnel of the Second Department's General Staff Office, report to the central conference room of the headquarters immediately. I repeat, all personnel of the Second Department's General Staff Office, report to the central conference room of the headquarters immediately."

There was really no buffer at all.

Fu Luo didn't dare to delay and stood up immediately. Following the map in her memory, she found the central conference room without much effort. Her access was quickly approved at the conference room, and the door slid open.

When Fu Luo walked in, she found that the office was still empty, and the others had not arrived yet. Only a serious-looking middle-aged man was sitting at the table. Hearing the sound, he looked up and glanced at Fu Luo, the first to arrive.

It was Major General Chen Zhong, the top leader of the Second Department.

Fu Luo was a little surprised at first, but quickly came back to her senses and stood at attention and saluted, "Sir!"

Chen Zhong nodded slightly, "A new face, a new soldier?"

"Yes, I'm Fu Luo, a new D-level soldier in the Second Department's General Staff Office."

Chen Zhong, the commander-in-chief of this space elite force, was usually very low-key. Fu Luo had only seen him a few times on TV, and as everyone knows, the camera is a very magical thing. It can make all not-so-gorgeous people look like pancake faces with short statures, and it can also make the audience ignore all the positive qualities of the person in front of the camera - except for the general's belly, eye bags, and white hair.

But compared to other people of the same rank, Major General Chen, who was not yet ninety years old, was undoubtedly "young and strong". He was thin, his military uniform was neat, and except for the nasolabial folds, he didn't look very old. Fu Luo remembered that Major General Chen didn't say much in front of the camera and looked ordinary - well, it meant he was absolutely not ugly.

But she didn't expect the real person to be like this - when Major General Chen was sitting there alone, he gave people an almost unshakable illusion. When his eyes swept over, even though his expression was not stern, it still made people involuntarily shudder in their hearts, as if the entire central conference room was within the scope of his aura.

In an instant, Fu Luo understood what it meant to be "towering like a mountain".

However, Chen Zhong looked at Fu Luo without any expression. The young female soldier looked a little nervous and apprehensive, but there was no confusion or bewilderment of a newcomer. Although she arrived the earliest, she stood straight at the door and did not rashly walk in before her seniors and superiors arrived. Although her face looked young, she unexpectedly gave people a feeling of being neither arrogant nor impetuous, but steady and reliable.

"Since the General Staff Office of Second Department was handed over to Little Yang, it has been a long time since new soldiers have been recruited." Major General Chen's tone softened, and he even offered a faint smile. "Young people are very good. If you encounter any problems in your work in the future, you can come to me at any time."

Fu Luo didn't dare to take the big boss's polite words seriously. She answered properly and then stood at the door like a door god, looking straight ahead.

Soon, the others arrived one after another. Yang Ning was the last one to enter. He looked at Fu Luo with special attention, paused his steps, and said with some surprise, "I was going to have Jialing bring you, but I didn't expect you to be quite fast. Did you find your way yourself?"

Fu Luo: "Report to the superior, there is a planar map of Second Department's area behind the door."

Yang Ning smiled, "Oh, you are very attentive."

It wasn't until all the personnel of the General Staff Office had arrived that Fu Luo quietly walked to the last position and stood at ease without a sound.

"I won't say much nonsense. I just received an order from the higher-ups. The 'Trojan Horse No. 1' ship is now fully equipped. This mission is codenamed 'Peace Talks' and will be led by our division with the support of the special forces." Major General Chen's expression became serious, and he didn't bother with any opening pleasantries. He spoke straightforwardly as soon as he opened his mouth, and the others seemed to be used to it.

Chen Zhong raised his hand and pressed the 3D image switch. In the center of the conference round table, a miniature version of a spaceship was presented to everyone in 360 degrees. The appearance was very ordinary. Except for the few small combat ships it carried, the vessel was almost bare. At first glance, it looked like a common commercial spaceship.

The office was silent, and even the person in charge, Yang Ning, did not ask any questions. The General Staff Office showed its extreme discipline and competence.

With a wave of General Chen's hand, the spaceship began to move. The originally ordinary-looking outer shell of the spaceship fell away layer by layer, shrinking it by a large margin and suddenly revealing its ferocious interior. On one side were three huge high-energy laser cannons, and on the other side were sixty-four primary nuclear missile thrusters. The ultra-high-density hull was completely black, as if it could even absorb light, displaying top-notch defensive capabilities. The most eye-catching feature was the fully automatic "ten-kilometer range" self-destruct system at the tail of the ship. When it falls into a desperate situation, the destructive power of self-detonation in the enemy camp is astonishing, capable of sweeping through battleships within ten kilometers and penetrating ultra-high-density protective shells up to 4.5 meters thick.

It was like a monster with fangs.

"This is the Trojan Horse No. 1," said General Chen. "It carries twenty stealth reconnaissance ships inside. The 'peace talks' mission is not really about escorting peace envoys to meet the enemy. The Trojan Horse No. 1 will stop at a safe distance of sixty range units from the enemy camp to show our 'sincerity' for 'peace talks'. Based on extrapolation from our military's counter-detection capabilities, twenty stealth reconnaissance ships are the limit at this distance. Once this number is exceeded, the probability of being scanned will increase from 0.3% to 20% - but I emphasize again, this is extrapolated from our military's technical level, but it lacks an empirical basis. The unexpected can happen at any time."

Only at this point did Yang Ning speak up for the first time and ask, "General, is the safe distance figure of sixty range units solid?"

"According to the agreement between the United Nations and the other star system when establishing diplomatic relations, the safe distance is forty-five range units. But based on the distance our current range can reach, it must be at least sixty range units to be acceptable. As for the possibility of the other side allowing the Trojan Horse No. 1 to take another step forward as a 'peace talk envoy'..." General Chen paused for a moment, pondering, and said very prudently, "In my personal judgment, it's basically zero."

"How many people are we sending out?" Yang Ning asked.

"The personnel on Trojan Horse No. 1 are already in place, and the reconnaissance soldiers are also in position. As usual, the General Staff Office will send two people to join the mission."

Fu Luo's mind immediately began to recall the management rules of the Space Combat Command according to his words - when the operation task is above B-level, it must be reported to the General Staff Office for record, and personnel from the General Staff Office must supervise remotely throughout the entire process. When it is above A-level, the General Staff Office needs to send at least one person to join the mission. When it is above S-level, the General Staff Office needs to send at least two people to join the mission.

...In other words, this mission called "peace talks" but actually "probing" is S-level.

"Zhang Liping, step forward," Yang Ning paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone present, finally falling on Fu Luo, "Fu Luo, step forward."

General Chen couldn't help but glance at him.

Zhang Liping was about 1.7 meters tall, an average build among ordinary people, but here, he seemed a bit short. He was not old, seemingly about the same age as Yang Ning. His skin was dark, making his teeth appear even whiter. Fu Luo noticed the access card on his chest, which read B-level soldier, two levels higher than herself.

Here, a soldier could be promoted one level for a third-class merit, two for a second-class merit, and receive an unscheduled promotion for a first-class merit. But in peacetime, even opportunities for third-class merits were not very common, so most people could only wait it out. If the year-end assessment by the commanding officer was above "good" for five consecutive years, one could be promoted one level.

"I can't disclose the specific details now, but I'll reveal a truth to everyone. If the other side allows our ship to pass the safe distance and advance, there must be a conspiracy. Don't act rashly, because in the end, peace talks are absolutely impossible. Let me put it more bluntly - between Earth humans and the other star system's humans, we are not some kind of cosmic compatriots from the same origin. The two sides are destined to have a life-and-death relationship." General Chen said word by word, "The importance of an S-level mission goes without saying. The last time the enemy launched a sneak attack, there was a gap in our department's air defense. Yang Ning was not at his post, and the General Staff Office reacted extremely slowly. The higher-ups are very disappointed in me and in all of you. For this joint operation, I'm also under a lot of pressure. I hope you can turn the tables."

"The 'peace talk gesture' of Trojan Horse No. 1 is a political show. The most likely reaction from the other side is to be on high alert, and they probably won't act rashly for a while. We're betting on this time difference. Everyone has learned in the past two days that the electromagnetic gun is the enemy's trump card. But the Space Weather Bureau just sent a top-secret early warning document two minutes ago that a new round of solar storms is about to begin, which will seriously affect the enemy's electromagnetic guns and communication scanning systems. This is the second reason for choosing this timing."

"Note that while the solar storm brings us opportunities, it is also a major threat. All stealth reconnaissance ships are equipped with the latest curvature accelerators, but I hope you will never attempt to jump in an unstable surrounding environment."

"The reconnaissance and escape routes have been transmitted to your personal terminals, with the plan being updated in real-time under the full authority of Colonel Yang from the General Staff Office."

"Finally, I hope you all remember one thing. A military expedition cannot be nameless, and a war cannot be unjust. This is a universal value, part of a heritage passed down since ancient times. Once a conflict occurs, we must not be the wrongful party to strike first. Otherwise, in the eyes of billions of compatriots on Earth, you and I will be sinners through the ages..."